Description
A full size 1911 in 45 ACP traditionally means carrying around two and a half pounds of steel, which is why so many of them live in a safe rather than on a belt. The Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP solves that with an aluminum frame, cutting roughly seven ounces without touching the barrel, the trigger or the sight radius that make a full size gun shoot well.
The Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP aluminum frame changes the math
The aluminum frame is the reason this pistol exists. At 31.2 ounces with an empty magazine it weighs about seven ounces less than an all steel Government model, and that difference is felt immediately on a belt rather than only on a scale.
Nothing above the frame has been shortened to get there. The 5 inch match grade stainless barrel and the full length sight radius are the same as any full size 1911, so the pistol still shoots like a duty gun rather than a compromised carry piece.
A full length guide rod and a 16 pound recoil spring keep the slide running smoothly on a lighter frame. Aluminum framed 1911s live or die on how well the recoil system is matched to the reduced mass, and Kimber specified this one to run standard 45 ACP loads without punishing the frame.
Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP barrel, finish and trigger
The match grade stainless steel barrel is the single component that most determines how a 1911 groups. Kimber fits these to tighter tolerances than a service barrel would require, and the result is a pistol that shoots noticeably better than its price band suggests.
Both the aluminum frame and the stainless slide wear a KimPro Black finish. KimPro is a self lubricating coating that resists the corrosion and holster abrasion that eat at a carry gun, and it is meaningfully tougher than a standard bluing or a simple anodize.
The 3 hole aluminum trigger breaks between 4 and 5 pounds, which is a sensible range for a gun that will be carried rather than shot only from a bench. White dot fixed sights front and rear give a fast, uncomplicated picture, and front slide serrations make press checks secure.
Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP Specifications
- Kimber model number 3700812
- Caliber 45 ACP
- Capacity 7 plus 1
- Barrel length 5 inches, match grade stainless steel
- Twist rate 1 in 16, left hand
- Overall length 8.7 inches
- Height 5.25 inches measured at 90 degrees to the barrel
- Width 1.28 inches
- Weight 31.2 ounces with an empty magazine
- Frame aluminum with a KimPro Black finish
- Slide stainless steel with a KimPro Black finish and front serrations
- Sights fixed white dot front and rear
- Trigger 3 hole aluminum, black, 4.0 to 5.0 pounds
- Grips full size rubber
- Recoil system full length guide rod with a 16 pound recoil spring
- Magazines three 7 round magazines included
- Action single action only, 1911 pattern
The Kimber Club Bundle is what separates this listing from a bare pistol. Alongside the three magazines the box includes a Mission First Tactical holster, a Mission First Tactical magazine carrier and a Kimber range bag, a package Kimber values at over 200 dollars. For a buyer who intends to actually carry and shoot the pistol rather than store it, that removes the usual first round of accessory purchases, and the holster and carrier are molded for this specific gun rather than being generic.
Fit and finish on the Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP are what buyers expect from the name, with tight slide to frame fit and a barrel that locks up without play.
Why Buyers Choose The Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP
Buyers choose the Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP when they want a full size 1911 they will genuinely carry. The aluminum frame is the difference between a pistol that goes on the belt every day and one that stays in the safe on all but range days.
Kimber match grade barrels have a long standing reputation for accuracy, and fitting one to a lightweight frame gives a shooter target grade grouping from a gun light enough to carry. That combination is unusual at this price.
The KimPro Black finish is a practical advantage rather than a cosmetic one. Carry guns live against damp clothing and inside abrasive holsters, and a self lubricating coating holds up to both far better than a traditional blue.
Getting the holster, magazine carrier, range bag and two spare magazines in the box saves the two hundred dollars or so most buyers spend in the first month anyway, and everything included is fitted to this pistol rather than approximated.
Upkeep on the Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP is straightforward, with the field strip every 1911 owner already knows, common service parts, and magazines that are inexpensive and widely stocked.
Who Should Buy The Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP
This pistol suits the shooter who wants a full size 1911 in 45 ACP for daily carry and does not want to give up barrel length or sight radius to get a manageable weight. It fits experienced 1911 owners, anyone moving up from a polymer carry gun who wants a single action trigger, and buyers who value a match grade barrel. Newer shooters should understand that a single action only pistol with a thumb safety and a grip safety asks for consistent, disciplined training, and that an aluminum framed 45 delivers noticeably sharper recoil than the same gun in steel, so range sessions take more concentration.
This Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP is the Club Bundle, and that matters
Sports South lists this part number as the Kimber Custom LW Club Bundle, and the factory photographs show why: the pistol comes with three magazines, a holster, a double magazine carrier and a gray range bag. Bought separately those are not a small number.
We will confirm the exact bundle contents with the distributor before we ship, because neither Sports South nor our other distributor records itemise the box and bundle configurations change without the part number changing. What we can tell you is what the manufacturer photographs show, and that is what is described above.
Before you order a Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP
Confirmed by the distributor record: 45 ACP, 7+1, a 5 in. stainless match-grade barrel, a KimPro Black optic-ready serrated stainless slide, a KimPro Black aluminum frame with a beavertail and a black Hogue rubber grip. Manufacturer part number 3700812, UPC 669278378121.
The optic-ready slide on a Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP is worth pausing on, because it is unusual on a 1911 at this price. Send us the model of dot you intend to fit and we will confirm the cut and the plate before you order.
Feed your Kimber Custom LW 45 ACP and keep it fed: Kimber 1911 8-round magazines are the spares to buy, and Magtech 45 ACP 230gr FMJ and Sellier & Bellot 230gr are what we hold in depth. A 1911 wants two hundred rounds of break-in with the load you intend to use, and it wants running wet.
Other Kimbers we carry: the Stainless LW is the same lightweight frame in stainless, and the 1911 DS Warrior is the double-stack step up.
Chamber and pressure standards for 45 ACP are published by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute; the factory page is at Kimber.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.